Death Kindly Stopped
by Liz the Fab
Summary: A Harry Potter/Sandman crossover in which the three brothers of the Tale of the Three Brothers meet a very different Death on their journey. Rated K as people do die, as that's what people eventually do.


Death didn't often hang around rivers. Well, technically she did, but that was for work and that didn't count. Leisure was the purpose of this excursion, and when Death was picking a place to relax, rivers weren't usually at the top of the list. But here she was, at a river. To be fair, it was a nice enough river, though that wasn't specifically why she was here. No, at the moment, the river was really just a place of transition. See, Death had promised Delirium that they'd go out and do something that day, and Delirium had picked the place to meet. According to her, the river water tasted like pomegranate snake and the fish told the best stories, a sentiment Death found herself agreeing with.

In her waiting, Death was met not by her sister, but by a trio of newcomers. Three brothers to be exact. Death knew them of course, how could she not? Being Death, she knew everyone, and everyone knew her after a fashion, as everyone met Death at least twice in their life; once at birth, and one at, of course, death. People tended not to remember that first meeting because how can one be expected to remember someone they'd only met for a few minutes? And with a major, and rather distracting, even such as one's birth going on at the same time, well, you simply aren't going to remember that first person.

But back to the brothers. The brothers were looking to cross the river, which sadly had no bridge. To make matters worse, the current was dangerously fast and the depth was equally dangerous. Death felt a bit sorry for the brothers as their only two options were to discontinue their journey, or try the river and meet her in the process. But then she remembered that these weren't just ordinary men, they were wizards and as wizards, they could use magic to cross the river. But did they have the skill? Another moment's observation revealed that they were. Death couldn't help but feel that some congratulations were in order. So Death went ahead to the other side to meet them, beating them with her own brand of magic.

As the brothers approached the shore, Death brought her snowy hands together in applause.

"Excellent work boys!" She grinned. "I can't tell you how long it's been since someone's managed to cross that river in one piece. Job well done!"

The brothers looked at each other in confusion. Who was this young woman who greeted them with such familiarity?

"Who are you?" The eldest demanded, readying his wand as if preparing for a fight.

"I'm Death," she said simply.

The brothers once more exchanged confused looks. "You can't be Death," the second brother declared, crossing his arms in defiance. His older brother nodded in agreement, while the youngest simply regarded her quizzically.

"Why can't I?"

"Because… Because…" The second brother searched for a reason. "Because you don't look like Death," he finally said, holding his head up with pride for seemingly disproving her claim.

"Oh really?" Death smiled, a mischievous glint in her black eyes. "Is this better?" In less than a moment, Death's attire had changed from the simple witches robes the brothers perceived her to be wearing, to the very recognizable cloak and scythe ensemble that everyone seemed to think she wore.

Each brother reacted accordingly; the eldest stepping back a foot or two, the second gaping in shock, and the youngest merely raising his eyebrows and widening his eyes.

"Good!" Death changed back in another instant, disliking the dreary outfit. Now to get down to business.

"Now I suppose you're wondering why I came to meet you. Well, I was just over on the other side, waiting for someone, when I saw you come by. And like I said earlier, not many people get across the river, so when I saw that you were managing it, I thought some congratulations were in order," Death explained. "So, congratulations!"

The brothers took a moment to take it all in. After the moment was over, the second spoke up:

"Seeing as we've impressed you with our feat," he began. "Would it not be appropriate for each of us to receive some sort of prize?" The oldest brother nodded his head in agreement, the youngest simply stared.

"Well I guess," Death replied. What was the worst that could happen?

"Excellent!" The oldest boomed. "I shall ask first as I am the eldest."

"Okay, what do you want?"

"I want a wand more powerful than any in existence," He declared. "A wand that must always win duels for its owner."

Death gave him a hard look, knowing this was a recipe for a disaster. "Are you sure about that?" She asked.

"Of course."

"Well, if you're really sure…" Death walked over to an elder tree growing on the banks of the river, reached up, and broke off a branch that was of the ideal shape and size for a wand. "Here you go," Death said, a hint of wariness in her voice as she handed the brother his new wand. Without so much as a word of thanks, he took the wand and spent the next few minutes admiring it.

"I'm next," said the second brother as he stepped forward for his gift. "I want the power to recall others from you," he said simply, a hint of superiority in his voice.

Another hard look was earned. "If that's what you really want…" The second brother nodded his head. "Okay then…" Death went to the edge of the shore where many stones lay. Death picked a particularly nice one up, and after weighing it in her hand for a moment, she handed it to the second brother. "This will let you bring back the dead, if that's what you really want."

"Of course that's what I want!" The brother exclaimed, taking the stone from her hand.

Death repressed a sigh as she turned to the youngest brother. "So what do you want?"

The youngest brother considered the question for a moment. Eventually, he replied:

"I want… Something that will let me go from place to place without anyone following me, even you. Something that will make me invisible."

Death nodded in approval. "Okay, that's easy enough." In an instant the cloak she'd worn as proof of her identity reappeared in her hands. "Take this," she said, handing him the cloak. "Wearing this will make you invisible to everyone, even me."

"Thank you, my lady."

Death smiled, bright and happy. And so the youngest brother was given a second and even more wonderful gift for the smile of Death is very beautiful. And so Death bid the brothers good luck and farewell and waited again for her own sibling.

Death, of course, would be seeing the brothers again as she saw everyone eventually, and some, sooner than others.

And soon after this meeting it was that Death met the first brother again. As the man looked on his body, dead in his bed, Death was already there.

"So how'd that wand work out for you?" Death asked, knowing full well how it had gone.

For a moment, he looked a bit angry, but the anger soon subsided into a sigh. "I suppose you did warn me that this was a bad idea," the eldest brother admitted. "I only wish I'd been able to enjoy my gift longer."

Death smiled at him kindly but said nothing. He knew that he'd made a mistake and she had no desire to berate him for it. She simply took him in her arms and the sound of great wing beats.

The second brother was next. When Death came for him, he was very quiet.

"I suppose I get to see her again for real this time," he said quietly. Any arrogance he had shown during their last meeting had completely disappeared.

Death gave him a small smile. "I guess you do." And then there was simply the sound of her wings.

It would be many years before Death met the third brother again, but the span of time was nothing to Death. She met everyone eventually.

"So how'd it go?" Death asked the youngest brother, now older than his two siblings would ever be.

He thought for a moment. "Not bad," he replied. "I've done most everything I've ever wanted to, fell in love, had a family," a grin spread over his wrinkled face. "Actually, I think it went pretty well."

Death smiled brightly, a mirror of their last meeting. "That's what I like to hear! Now, are you ready to go?"

The third brother nodded. "Sure, I've always wondered what it was like on the other side."

"Lots of people wonder," Death told him. "And eventually, everyone finds out."

And so the third brother took Death's hand, hearing only the sound of her wings.


End file.
